Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps will be closed by June 30th 2022 and Amnesty International has welcomed Kenya’s decision.
Amnesty International said in a statement on Thursday that neither permanent refugee camps, hurried camp closures, or violating international non-refoulment principles are solutions.
“We trust the Government of Kenya and UN High Commissioner for Refugees shall work towards identifying more opportunities for resettlement or voluntarily repatriation of willing refugees in dignified manner” Irungu Houghton, Amnesty International Kenya Executive Director said in the statement.
The lobby group commended the decision to provide refugees with free Work Permits as part of an effort to integrate East African refugees.
At the same time, Amnesty International urged the government not to abandon its history as a sanctuary nation while embroiled in a diplomatic dispute with Somalia.
“We further urged the Government of Kenya to not abandon its history as a sanctuary nation in the middle of a pandemic or a diplomatic dispute with the Government of Somalia but instead use its international leadership on the UN Security Council to advocate for more resources and opportunities for both host nations and refugees, ”
The interior ministry had given the United Nations refugee agency 14 days to come up with a plan to close the camps, stating that “there is no room for further negotiations.”
The Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps in northern Kenya are home to over 410,000 people, mostly from Somalia but also from South Sudan and Ethiopia.
Authorities in Nairobi first announced plans to close the Dadaab camp, which is closer to the Somali border than Kakuma, in 2016, citing national security concerns.
The plan was thwarted by the High Court, which ruled that it was unconstitutional.
